Kidnapped

Michael Caine stars as Jacobite rebel ‘Alan Breck’ in this 1971 adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson’s much loved classic adventure novel.

Set in 1746 Scotland (and almost entirely filmed there!), the story begins when young orphan David Balfour (Lawrence Douglas) arrives at the decaying House of Shaws by the Scottish coast, in order to claim his inheritance. So far, both land and house have been under the custodianship of David’s uncle Ebenezer Balfour (Donald Pleasence), but with David now having reached adulthood the lot is supposed to go to him. And yes, with Ebenezer we encounter yet another Scrooge, because he isn’t exactly pleased over the prospect of handing over house and land to his former protégée. Far from it, after a failed attempt to kill him, evil Ebenezer then has David kidnapped and brought aboard a ship lead by Captain Hoseason (Jack Hawkins) with the intent on selling the young lad as a slave in the Americas. Needless to say that both Ebenezer and Hoseason are business partners with trade in the West Indies. It looks as if David’s cruel fate is sealed but luckily, the ship strikes a small boat in the fog-bound Hebrides. The only surviving passenger of the small boat is one Alan Breck - a Jacobite rebel who supports the claim of the House of Stuart to the throne of Scotland. He is brought aboard the ship and the two men soon strike up a friendship. Alan has precious gold coins on him and offers some to Captain Hosean if he sets him free and drops him off at the French mainland. Instead, Hoseason plans on killing Breck, though luckily this is overheard by David and after an ensuing fight the ship runs aground. Both Breck and David escape and are now free though not for long… rebel Breck is pursued by the Red Coats and David has his own agenda to fight for – after all, his inheritance is at stake!

It is then that the real adventure begins for the two men, and en route not only do they have to shake off nasty English soldiers in search for renegade Scottish rebels, but David also meets some of Breck’s friends and family, including James Stewart (Jack Watson) and his pretty daughter Catriona (Vivien Heilbron) with whom David falls in love. After an attack which leaves some of the Stewart supporters dead, Breck, David and Catriona flee direction Edinburgh, though the journey across the Highlands to the capital is plastered with danger at every corner…
In Edinburgh, David hopes to reverse his bad luck with the aid of Lord Advocate Grant (Trevor Howard), while Catriona’s father is held in the nearby castle dungeons and awaiting his execution…

Kidnapped is an entertaining swashbuckler with political undertones, and of course historical ones too as the story highlights the suppression and consequent destruction of the Scottish clans by English Government forces. The location work is admittedly nothing short of stunning, and many scenes were shot in atmospheric places such as Stirling Castle and the Argyll district. However, it might surprise that the Edinburgh sequences were actually filmed in the tiny and tranquil village of Culross – a place that hasn’t really changed since the film was shot and which still looks like the 17th century if not older! The opening scene with a soundtrack by Roy Budd sets the mood, and Mary Hopkin’s ‘For All My Days’ provides the end title song.
Michael Caine adds of course all the gravitas needed for his character though bless him, his attempts to utter a believable Scots accent are hampered by his through and through Cockney accent (which always rings through no matter what). Lawrence Douglas, with his folk-pop musician looks, makes for an amiable and shy ‘David Balfour’ though really it is Donald Pleasence who steals the show, despite the fact that his scheming ‘Ebenizer Balfour’ is not the most prominent role in the movie.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

* Original theatrical trailer
* Production featurette
* Archive Michael Caine interviews
* Image gallery
* Promotional material PDF